Fire-escape ladder



R. s. HARRIS.

Fire Escape Ladders.

No. 231,567. Patented Aug. 24, 1880.

NPEIERS, PNOWUTMOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D, C,

UNITED STATES PATENT Genre.

/ ROBERT S. HARRIS, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA.

FIRE-ESCAPE LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,567, dated August 24, 1880.

Application filed February 5, 1880. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Bonner SoRIBE HAR- ms, of Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention has for its object the production of a convenient and effective fire-escape and the novelty therein consists in an extensible ladder, balanced and weighted, mounted upon a standard or turn-table, and in supplyin g the same with buckets or other convenient receptacles upon an endless rope, and in the various other operative combinations, all as more fully hereinafter described and explained.

. In order that those skilled in the art may know how to make and use this device, the same is now explained, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the device in position for use; Fig. 2, a side View of the same with the parts folded together and arranged horizontally.

Like letters denote corresponding parts in each figure.

In the drawings,Adenotes a suitable truck or carriage, upon which the apparatus is mounted and may be conveyed from point to point. A suitable standard or standards or other proper support is mounted upon the carriage A, and connected therewith so that it may be turned around freely in its'vertical position either by means of a turn-table or any other'proper piv' otal device. To the upper part of this standard B the main ladder O is pivoted, so that the same may be moved in any direction from a vertical one backward to a horizontal one. An extensible ladder, D, is mounted upon or within the main ladder G, preferably resting against therounds of the same, and kept in proper direction or movement by brace-guides a. a. A suitable hook, 12, attached to one of these guide-braces and adapted to pass over any of the rounds of the main ladder O, can hold the extensible ladder D in any desired position. This ladder D may be moved in either direction by hand; or it may have ropes and pulleys attached in any ordinary wellknown way.

A pulley, E, is attached to the upper end or outer end of the extensible ladder D, through which an endless rope, F, passes, to which. in turn, are secured buckets or other receptacles, G G, in such a way that when one of these receptacles is at or near the top of the ladder when fully extended the other may be upon the ground.

The weight H is secured to the lower part of the main ladder 0, so as to about balance the same when turned in a horizontal position.

A suitable brace, l, is pivoted to the main ladder 0, preferably at a point above the center of its length, of such a length that when the main ladder is inclined away from a vertical position this brace will hold it in the desired position, and also serve to give it strength.

A support, J, secured preferably to the standard B, serves to hold up the ladder when it is carried in a horizontal position.

When this fire-escape is transported through the streets it can be done so most conveniently with the ladders folded together and the brace I folded up against the ladders, as shown in Fig. 2, and for turning short corners ladders may be easily raised to a vertical, or nearly vertical, position.

When a carriage is brought to the desired distance from a building where it is to be used, the ladders, after the extensible ladder D is drawn out and fastened, are raised by pressing down upon the weight H. I prefer this way of extending the ladders; but the extensible ladder D may be raised a sufficient distance by hand after raising the ladders, or by means of ropes, as before explained, and then inclined, as may be desired, toward the building, the brace I holding it in the proper position.

The buckets G G are operated from the ground, one ascending while the other is descending.

When the ladder is required to be turned in any other direction than that in line with the length of the carriage it can be done conveniently by turning the standard B around as far as may be required.

The advantages of this construction may be enumerated as follows: The apparatus is cheap,

carriage A and standard B, turning on a central pivot, ot' ladders C 1), weight H, and brace I, as and for the purpose set forth and shown. 4. In a tire-escape, the combination, with standard B, turning on a central pivot, of the ladders 0 l) and weight H, attached to the lower end thereof and adapted to raise and balance the ladders after their extension, substantially as described and set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 30th day of January, 1880.

ROBERT S. HARRIS. Witnesses:

E. E. BUNKER, Mormon M. CADY. 

